Membership Meetings Provide Launching Pad

ALABC welcomed nearly 50 representatives from member companies to participate in its annual Members & Contractors meeting, reviewing current projects and discussing areas for future work.  The meeting opened with a presentation by Dr. Boris Monahov on behalf of Professor Ernst Ferg of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University on the effect of carbon additives on the negative plate under high-rate partial state-of-charge (HRPSoC) operation (Project 1315-R1).  Then, Dr. Herbert Giess on behalf of Narada Power Source provided an update on Project 1315-STD1, studying carbon-enhanced VRLA batteries for port crane applications.

Following the break, Dr. Allan Cooper, ALABC’s European Projects Coordinator, provided an update on the demonstration projects currently running, including the LC SuperHybrids, the Ford ADEPT, and the Kia Optima T-Hybrid.  Then, Don Karner of Electric Applications Inc. provided updates on the natural gas hybrid truck and the USABC battery test project, and a review of the HEV test procedures.

After the project updates, Dr. Andy Bush provided an overview of the proposed ILA/ALABC agreement whereby ALABC would operate as a collaborative program of ILA with all core Consortium funding directed to fundamental research and battery science, while all management and administration costs would be covered by ILA.  The meeting was wrapped by ALABC Chairman Dr. Tim Ellis with a continued discussion on the future of the program.

Following the meeting, the ALABC Steering Committee convened for its semi-annual meeting.  The proceedings began with an ALABC program status update by Dr. Monahov, and continued with an update on the Public Affairs & Marketing Committee provided by Chip Bremer.  The meeting then focused on the two main items of consideration: the proposed integration under ILA and the approval of the Prospectus for the 2016-18 ALABC Program.  Consortium President Dr. David Wilson presided over the meeting, and both the Prospectus and the new management structure were approved unanimously by the Committee members in attendance.

Industry Expertise Prevalent at 16ABC Proceedings

As a testament to the extensive knowledge base recruited by the 16ABC organizers, several members of ALABC and the worldwide lead-acid battery community provided comprehensive presentations on some of the key issues facing the industry today.  The list of presenters included:

Bob Nelson Honored with Prestigious Industry Award

On the first day of the conference, the lead battery community honored industry pioneer and former ALABC Chairman Dr. Bob Nelson with the International Lead Medal for his achievement and influence over his 38 years in the industry.  

Dr. Nelson was gracious in his acceptance of the award, and according to many in attendance, the honor was long overdue.

Lead Battery Innovation on Display

As part of the events exhibition, ALABC and ILA also organized a joint exhibit to attract potential members and promote the advantages of advanced lead battery technology, as well as the future direction of the 2016-18 ALABC R&D program.

The exhibit also included a display of some of the most recent lead battery products from ALABC members such as Narada, Furukawa, East Penn, ArcActive, and Advanced Battery Concepts.